Dennis Smith Jr. had an excellent start to his career in Dallas after being selected No. 9 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. However, after being traded to the New York Knicks in his second season, he’s struggled to crack the rotation after dealing with personal issues off the court.
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Smith Jr. has requested to play in the G League bubble. After logging seven straight DNPs, Bondy reports that he is “eager for reps and an opportunity to demonstrate he’s still an NBA prospect.” This certainly shows quite a bit of maturity by Smith Jr. who is serious about making an impact once again in the NBA.
The Knicks granted his request on Monday, announcing that Smith Jr. will join Ignas Brazdeikis and Jared Harperwill on Westchester Knicks for the upcoming G League season in Orlando.
During his rookie campaign with the Mavericks, he was arguably their best player, averaging 15.2 points and 5.2 assists per contest. Perhaps through gaining confidence in the G League bubble, he can get back on track and make an impact on this Knicks roster who is looking to push for the playoffs.
